Topic: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

Let's hope that unless a director with love and ability at the horror genre actually steps up to the lens, we are seeing the last of the aptly titled, Wrong Turn series.

Is Wrong Turn 4 better than Wrong Turn 3? Hell yes; by a country mile. But nonetheless an insult to the parts 1 and 2.

Rather than review the whole film, I'd just like to toss in my two schillings about two areas of a film that I think are - these days - either too over done, or utterly neglected: horror villain characters, and overall environment and mood.

On the bright side, about the only people associated with the film that have any serious belief in doing good horror work, are the EFX folks. The gore, dismemberment of body parts et el are an absolute hoot, and are actually quite original in their execution. Similarly, the cannibal facial prosthetics are exceptionally well applied and dressed on the actors. But that is about the only positive thing attributed to our motley crew of flesh eaters. For despite well done make-up, the actors playing the cannibals move, stand, and react physically without any sort of bodily issues below the neck. For people with such deformity, there physical actions are far too normal looking, and in some scenes they come off as guys running around in Halloween masks. Perhaps a "Deformed cannibal motion training" session similar to the "zombie training" that even the extras on The Walking Dead receive, might have been in order to better create a believable deformed inbred cannibal.

Continuing with the "look" of the cannibals. Why is that one cannibal has nice, long, soft gray, fluffy wind blown hair is beyond me. Is there a esthetic clinic on site? Shouldn't the hair of such a creature, in such an environment, been stringy and greasy and unkept? I'm knit picking because these sort of details are bloody important in a film, and to the creation of a character. The smallest physical things like this can make or break a character creation. And a cannibal with fluffy, clean gray hair waving about is just plain stooopid, and adds nothing; though it takes away everything. Hair is one of the most important elements of facial character. You get it wrong and it can ruin an entire character. Now, although the gray haired cannibal isn't as bad as if Jack Nicholson (in the Shining) had been completely clean shaven, or DeNiro in Cape Fear had had a Ron Burgandy hair do, but it is nonetheless a blunder that takes away belief in the character.

And speaking of character... the building, the environments (or lack thereof) have almost none.

This film, for such a cool concept as being based inside a forgotten institution in the winter, no less, has little environment, and zero environmental character. Someone should have given director O'Brien a copy of SESSION 9 to watch so he'd have some concept of how to shoot a forgotten medical facility as to create mode, and to give the facility itself a character. Note to Decky.... removing furniture or just tipping it over in the hallways is not environment. Neither are flickering lights, or papers scattered on the floor.

And while we're talking environment, where do these cannibals sleep, reside, etc when they are not appearing in hallways? The viewer is not given a single solitary look or insight into the life of these beings within the desolate institution they have taken over. All we get are random appearances, and a scene of human dissection in the kitchen... which is so clean it looks like the hillbillies had never been in there before. Where's the character work? How about a cavernous basement? How about the instituions morgue being turned into their meat locker where they smoke(d) their kills? How about the med lab being turned into a torture dungeon, with filthiness all about. Maybe they even sleep in there. But there's no FILTH associated with this film; no grime; no inbred hillbilly cannibal moxy to make you wish never to be caught or go near a place like that. This just may be the most sterile cannibal environment ever filmed. It's boring.

Now spoilers and what not forbid me discussing any further the cannibals deft ability at stealing the kids ski-doos and those riding winter vehicles (and even doing tricks) like trained professionals.... but it is just they way it is with Wrong Turn 4. No thought at all... unless you count the landmark use of interracial female sex fu; Black on Asian. Though pretty common in porn (which is about Declan O'Briens level of directing skill) it does, and is, the only FIRST for horror films that Wrong Turn 4 serves up. Too bad Decky didn't did put as much thought and care into the innovation in other, more important areas of the film. Like say... the horror element?

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

Watched this the other night, mostly i agree, efx are great, but they do show where they sleep and hang out, in the attic as shown close to the end of the movie. Overall fun flick if you don't over think it.

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

doc_notter wrote:

Watched this the other night, mostly i agree, efx are great, but they do show where they sleep and hang out, in the attic as shown close to the end of the movie. Overall fun flick if you don't over think it.

They do show the sleep and hangout.... but the set and production design are dreadful. So much could have been done with this project, with this location. It was a golden opportunity, and these people blew it.

And it's not a matter of over thinking it. It is what it is. Nobody who watches this film can honestly say that the director had a passion for this project and that that passion clearly shows on screen and translates in every facet of the production from the dialogue to the choice of lenses. And that's the whole argument. He was a hired gun, brought in to do the film on time and under budget, and absolutely nothing more. And it shows.

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

doc_notter wrote:

It is true, with a set like that so much could and should have been done, it is a shame they didn't do more with it.

So true , bro.

Last night (Halloween) I watched Marcus Nispels' Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Now, love this film or not you can see Nispel's passion for the project in every frame of the film. Some may dislike aspects of the film, but the production design, the lighting, the framing of shots is spectacular. The attention to detail in every environment is truly inspiring; the fat woman's trailer is especially brilliant, decked out in everything from old newspaper article wallpaper to antique Tiffany-style lamps on the walls. Beautiful work.

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

I loved the movie a lot. Just some logic of it that doesn't make sense. Like, the mutants let everyone go free and they all escaped, where did they go? Why didn't the mutants follow? How come no one came to rescue the hospital that obviously didn't respond to anything? Those holes flaw the story a good amount but I look past it as the gore more than made up for it.

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

I didn't find part 2 all that great, the only real good one is the first, part 4 wasn't so bad though. You have to expect to look past the flaws in a film like this, the 4th part of a mostly STV series, so to me I just went in to enjoy the slaughter and I did. If you had any other reason to watch this movie it was the wrong reason because a film like this is obviously meant to be about the stalking and killing, which it did fine with. I thought the set was fine too, sure it had little and big flaws but in the end I watched to be entertained and I was.

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

I agree. So much could have been done. It did have a couple of cool gore scenes (as stated in one of the above post). All in all, the few gore scenes that it did have didn't make up for the fact that it was a complete insult to the first one.

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

Gardenofstone10 wrote:

I loved the movie a lot. Just some logic of it that doesn't make sense. Like, the mutants let everyone go free and they all escaped, where did they go? Why didn't the mutants follow? How come no one came to rescue the hospital that obviously didn't respond to anything? Those holes flaw the story a good amount but I look past it as the gore more than made up for it.

Story and character logic are a whole new set of WTF-were-they-thinking issues. Aside from the ones you pointed out... I will just add... where the fnck did these cannibals learn to drive snowmobiles and do tricks with them????

Hey man... I'm all for outrageousness in films, even goofiness, but you can't just shoe horn that stuff into the story randomly for a scene or two. That's just plain stooopid.

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

That is more believable where they learned to drive because it's one of those mimic things. Plus they weren't locked up their entire life, they were "found eating their mom" or something like that, lol. To write how they can't feel pain made me headplant my palm, shaking in disbelief. But, it was entertaining and looks good on blu ray and that's about all I've learned to expect from the WT movies.

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

Gardenofstone10 wrote:

That is more believable where they learned to drive because it's one of those mimic things. .

Are you havin' a laugh?It's not one of those "mimic things". Mimicry is the learned imitation of another's appearance, behaviour, sound, scent, or action. It's not the learned ability of operating machinery. But don't take my word for it. Why not watch Top Gun and then try to fly an F-16. You wouldn't even be able to find the cockpit latch. LOL.

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

Doesn't matter how good it is. If it makes money, Part 5 will be on its way. We chuckle at the 80s series of movies that had way too many sequels; I think we're looking at the current new wave of those. Saw, Cabin Fever 3/4, Wrong Turns. Probably missing one or 2 other series.

I could be wrong (hey, when am I right? heh ), but [remakes + sequels] > [new mainstream horror].

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

azathoth wrote:

Doesn't matter how good it is. If it makes money, Part 5 will be on its way. We chuckle at the 80s series of movies that had way too many sequels; I think we're looking at the current new wave of those. Saw, Cabin Fever 3/4, Wrong Turns. Probably missing one or 2 other series.

I could be wrong (hey, when am I right? heh ), but [remakes + sequels] > [new mainstream horror].

And why not (make another sequel). With every new dawn comes new hope, or in the horror sequel business.... with every new sequel comes new hope that they'll hire a director who actually GIVES A SH*T !!! After all... Friday 6 was pretty damn good for that series... having followed the crap that was Part 5.

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

Bunshinsaba wrote:

azathoth wrote:

Doesn't matter how good it is. If it makes money, Part 5 will be on its way. We chuckle at the 80s series of movies that had way too many sequels; I think we're looking at the current new wave of those. Saw, Cabin Fever 3/4, Wrong Turns. Probably missing one or 2 other series.

I could be wrong (hey, when am I right? heh ), but [remakes + sequels] > [new mainstream horror].

And why not (make another sequel). With every new dawn comes new hope, or in the horror sequel business.... with every new sequel comes new hope that they'll hire a director who actually GIVES A SH*T !!! After all... Friday 6 was pretty damn good for that series... having followed the crap that was Part 5.

Every good series has a Friday part 5 or Halloween 3. I'm the guy that as long as a series continues, it is cool if it strays from what is core and beloved. I'm cool with more Wrong Turn movies and to what Azzy said about Cabin Fevers....I don't know how I feel about 3 or 4. 2 was OK but just lacked what made 1 great and that's good old fashioned horror. (not like true old fashioned but it had elements of it)

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

Bunshinsaba wrote:

Gardenofstone10 wrote:

That is more believable where they learned to drive because it's one of those mimic things. .

Are you havin' a laugh?It's not one of those "mimic things". Mimicry is the learned imitation of another's appearance, behaviour, sound, scent, or action. It's not the learned ability of operating machinery. But don't take my word for it. Why not watch Top Gun and then try to fly an F-16. You wouldn't even be able to find the cockpit latch. LOL.

Yeah but driving a car is very easy. You press a pedal and steer. And yes, I would try flying a jet like in Top Gun just from watching it. I'd just need to know where the eject button is and how to use my parachute lol

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

Bunshinsaba wrote:

And why not (make another sequel). With every new dawn comes new hope, or in the horror sequel business.... with every new sequel comes new hope that they'll hire a director who actually GIVES A SH*T !!! After all... Friday 6 was pretty damn good for that series... having followed the crap that was Part 5.

Hey, let them go for it. I can choose to either watch or not watch, and if it's good, they'll eventually get my money. I was just commenting that sequels are almost always dependent on the perceived profit potential (i.e. why there is no Waterworld 2 ). Well, at least in the Hollywood world; many independents out there make horror films out of a love for the genre and the craft (ahem, Acey).

I'm not sure if I completely agree with Garden about steering the course, though. Of course it depends on what your definition of "veering off the course" is. Was NoES 'Dream Warriors' off course? Fun film, but was that on or off course? Look at Halloween & F13th starting going all over the place later on, which was fun just in how odd it got compared to the original(s). Even for once sequel, 'House of the Dead' to HotD 2 went straight to left field (Uwe Boll, the best horror director of all time)(where is the sarcasm tag?). Still waiting for Myers and Freddy in space, though.

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

Im completely against bad sequels. Especially ones that are thrown together with no creativity, full of terrible cgi (the third flick) and are a complete insult to the original movie. They are thrown together with no real though other than to cash in on the name. And as long as people keep running out and buying the dvd's they will keep churning out shit for us to wallow in...not me.

Re: Wrong Turn 4 - Bloody Beginnings

I finally watched it last night and I wasn't really impressed. It kept me entertained and I liked some of the gore, but overall there were just to many flaws. I will admit it was MUCH better than part 3 though.